Improvement in elevated railways



UNITED STATES PATENT i FFICE..

OTTO GSANTNER, OF EAST ORANGE, NEW JERSEY.

IMPROVEMENT IN ELEVATED RAILWAYS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 83.772, datedNovember-3, ISGS.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Orro GsANTNnR, of East Orange, in the county ofEssex and State of New Jersey, have invented a new and Improved ElevatedRailway; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear,and exact description thereof, which will enable others skilled in theart to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, forming part of this specification.

This invention relates to a new and improved elevated railway designedfor streets and roads, and more especially for cities or other places orroutes where there is considerable travel.

In the accompanying sheet of drawings, Figure l, Sheet No. l, is a sidesectional view of my invention, taken inline a: a, Fig. 2; Fig. 2, atransverse section of the same, taken in the line y y, Fig. l.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

A represents a series of columns or pillars, which may be of cast-iron,and placed at suitable distances apart at each side of the street orroad, at the edges of the sidewalks, near the curb-stones. The upperends of these columns are connected by transverse bars B, slightlycurved or arched. On these bars B there is rmly secured, by clamps a,arranged in any proper way, a series of hangers, O, which support therails D.

It is designed, in practice, to have two or more tracks suspended fromthe transverse bars B, as shown in Fig. 2.

The lower ends of the hangers C are curved, as shown in Fig. 2, at b,and these curved portions receive the rails D, the latter being at sucha distance from the vertical portions of the hangers as to admit of thecar-wheels E passing the same, as shown clearly in FiO. 2.

It will be seen that by this arrangement a very strong and durableframing is obtained to hold the cars in a suspended state, the rails Dand the transverse bars B serving as braces, to permit a lateral strainor pressure upon the columns A in any direction.

The car-wheels E have grooved peripheries, as shown clearly in Fig. 2,and said wheels are keyed firmly on their axles F. By this means u therails D are prevented from spreading laterally.

The car G is suspended by hangers H from the axles F, and it is designedto have the rails D at such an elevation as to admit of twostory carsbeing used, and to have the bottoms of the cars clear the surface of thestreet, leaving about a foot space underneath.

The doors a* of the car are at its sides, and the upper story is reachedby stairs I I. The conductors place is at the center of the car, wherehe can see every passen ger that enters and leaves the car and collectthe fare from every passenger. In ordinary Streetcar travel many faresare lost by the indiscriminate jumping on and oftl of passengers at thefront and rear platforms of the cars.

This car may be drawn by horses attached in the usual way; or it may bedrawn by a dummy-engine.

At the end of the route the car is moved from one track to the other bythe following means: Two transverse rails, .I J, are secured to columnsA, 0n which rails there are placed slides K K, provided with hangers L,constructed precisely like the hangers H, and on which ln ngers L, attheir lower parts, rails M are secured. By moving the slides K K onthese rails J J, the rails M may be brought in line with either of thetwo tracks of the road.

Different plans may be devised for moving the rails M M. The one shownin Fig. 2 consists of a rack, N, attached to one of the sides K, andhaving a pinion, c, on a shaft, O, gearing into it. (See dotted lines,Fig. 2.) This shaft O is rotated by a belt or chain, I), from a shaft,Q, which is sufficiently low to be turned by a crank, d, by a personstanding on the street or ground. u Y i. .Y

I design to have brakes applied to the cars, constructed and arranged insuch a manner as to act against the wheels. This arrangement would bepreferable, as, the car-wheels E being of small diameter, brakes ofconsiderable power would be required in order to be efficient in actingagainst the wheels.

I would remark that branch roads and turnouts may be used with orapplied to this elevated road without any trouble or difiicultyWhatever. I would further remark that the device employed for moving theslides K to adjust the cars from one track to the other should besupplied with a lock, in order that it may not be tampered with oroperated by persons not authorized to do so.

Having thus described my invention, wh at I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is v The carriage K, fitted to move on thetransverse bars J, provided with hangers L and rails M, when adapted tobe operated as shown, for shifting the suspended cars from one track tothe other, as represented and described.

The above specication of my invention signed by me this 11th day ofAugust, 1868.

OTTO GSANTNER. Witnesses:

FRANK BLocKLEY, ALEX. F. ROBERTS.

